Mock drill in five MP districts, Minister says waiting for latest SOPs

Bhopal, May 6 (IANS) In light of heightened tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, nationwide mock drills on wartime survival techniques are set to take place across 244 locations, including five districts in Madhya Pradesh, on Wednesday.

“We are awaiting the issuance of the standard operating procedure (SOP) by the Central government,” stated Kailash Vijayvargiya on Tuesday. He further revealed that, once the SOP is formalised, Madhya Pradesh will conduct similar drills in five key districts -- Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Katni.

The minister also informed that “a crucial meeting regarding the matter is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Tuesday evening. Following this discussion, the SOP will be issued to guide states in executing survival drills. As of now, we have preparedness with old practices.”

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav told the minister that detailed guidelines are being issued to the District Collector and Superintendents of Police regarding the Civil Defence Mock Drill to be held on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister, in his address before the meeting of the Council of Ministers, informed that in view of the current national and international conditions, mock drills will be held in five cities of the state, namely Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Katni. Wednesday from 4 p.m. onwards, drills will be conducted for activities like warning of danger through siren, blackout, keeping major infrastructure safe, and safe evacuation of the injured in case of an accident.

Earlier on Tuesday, preparations for the nationwide exercise were meticulously reviewed in a high-level meeting at the Union Home Ministry in Delhi, attended by senior officials, including Chief Secretaries and Civil Defence Chiefs from various states.

The initiative mandates active participation from key personnel, including District Controllers, local authorities, civil defence wardens and volunteers, Home Guard personnel (both active and reserve), as well as members of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS). College and school students will also be trained in essential response measures for hostile attacks.

For strategic deployment, Civil Defence Districts have been categorised based on their level of sensitivity, with Category 1 deemed the most sensitive, Category 2 moderate and Category 3 the least. In alignment with this classification, on May 5, the Home Ministry directed all states to undertake these comprehensive drills.

On Tuesday, the Home Ministry released an official list outlining the districts selected for the exercise, dividing them according to their respective sensitivities. Altogether, 244 Civil Defence Districts spread across 25 states have been assigned specific categories.

Notably, the Ministry of Home Affairs has established 259 Civil Defence Districts across a total of 35 states and union territories. Prior to this large-scale operation, police forces, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) units, and various rescue teams have already undergone extensive survival training in key cities.

This initiative marks a crucial step in fortifying the nation's preparedness, ensuring swift and coordinated responses in times of crisis.

--IANS

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